3 io THE COMPLETE SHOT 



splash of the pellets to be a guide to the gunner for his next 

 shot. But too much reliance must not be placed on any such 

 appearances when the bird is more than a foot above the water, 

 because after the pellets have passed the game they will be 

 going so slowly as to appear far behind when they splash the 

 water, even when, in fact, they might have been straight for the 

 mark, or even in front. With shooting schools in such numbers, 

 it is much more humane to rely for education upon the class of 

 shooting given at them than to mangle birds that are of no 

 use when killed. This remark does not, of course, apply to 

 golden plover, which are quite as good food as a snipe, nor to 

 green plover and curlew, which it is said are good food, but 

 only to the terns and small fry that are not eaten. 



However, clay bird shooting can never teach confidence and 

 knowledge of what is and what is not at shooting distance. 

 For this reason the saltings and the shore experience of a young 

 gunner are valuable to him, although the real wild fowlers of the 

 district have every right to believe themselves injured by people 

 who constantly disturb fowl by shooting at " rubbish." 



The young shooter, then, should not begin by trying to see 

 how far a gun will kill, for it is no credit at all to kill far off. It 

 is the easiest kind of shot, because the " game " is moving 

 relatively to the swing of the gun far slower far off than near 

 by. It may credit the gun-maker to kill a long shot, but not 

 the shooter when he misses the next near one. Consequently, 

 if one must go shore shooting in summer, or before summer 

 visitors have gone, a good way is to make a rule never to excuse 

 a miss as being too far. It is wonderful how, by beginning at 

 near easy shots and never missing, the ability gradually comes 

 to make a gun do its best at farther distance ; whereas begin- 

 ning at long shots teaches nothing, and every miss begets loss 

 of confidence, which is the one thing most essential in shooting. 



But from the summer shore shooter to the veteran winter 

 business man of the shore, who makes a living by his gun, or 

 at least makes his day's wages every day he thinks it worth his 

 time to go fowling, there is as much difference as between 

 " W. G." in his prime and the stoniest stone-waller who ever 



